Gripper for phonograph record disks



Nov. 12, 1968 E. H. SCHWEIZER 3,410,592

GRIPPER FOR PHONOGRAPH RECORD DISKS Filed Sept. 15, 1966 INVENTOR Eduard llansjo'rg Sch weizer United States Patent GRIPPER FOR PHONOGRAPH RECORD DISKS Eduard Hansjorg Schweizer, 4171 Kapellen,

Geldem, an der Muhle, Germany Filed Sept. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 579,727

Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 16, 1965,

Sch 37,740 2 Claims. (Cl. 29416) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A gripper for phonograph record disks wherein a pair of circular resiliently deflectable coextensive syntheticresin plates are held in spaced-apart relationship by a tongue and grooved arc-segmental connecting bridge extending over a limited portion of the circumference of the plates, the inner faces of the plates being lined with a velvet-like material.

My present invention relates to a new type of gripper in equipment for playing phonograph records the gripper providing protection to the gramophone or sound-recording disk.

In placing a phonograph-record disk upon and removing it from a phonograph turntable, it has been heretofore the practice to touch each disk with the hand. In many cases the disks are damaged. Often a little pressure with a fingernail is all that is necessary to produce depressions or scratches.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a gripper for phonographic records wherein the disadvantages of handling the records can be avoided; said gripper comprising two plates, disposed in mutually parallel '-relationship and connected like a pair of tongs with a spacing between the plates at least of the thickness of the gramophone disk.

The new gripper allows a considerate treatment of the gramophone disk. The gripper is placed around and hugs the edge of a gramophone disk which is inserted between the plates and is handled like a pair of tongs. Preferably the inner surfaces of the plates are covered with a velvet-like coat, preventing damage to the sound-recording grooved surfaces of the disk. Moreover the coextensive tong-like plates are provided with a circular diameter or plan, so that the possibility of damage to the disk by corners and edges is excluded.

The new gripper moreover is of simple construction and can be produced easy and without high costs. The plates have on one side segmental connecting bridges establishing a spacing of nearly 3 mm. between the plates and being connected with help of a clamping key engaging in a groove. The plates may be made out of any materials, but a resilient synthetic material is particularly suitable.

The new gripper has a great bearing surface so that it is possible to seize each disk securely and to hold the gripper firmly.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a gripper according to the invention in place about the edge of a gramophone disk; and

3,410,592 Patented Nov. 12, 1968 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the gripper of FIG- URE 1 take-n on the line II thereof.

The gripper 1 comprises two coextensive plates 2 and 3 attached to each other like a pair of tongs and having a circular diameter or plan. At one side (and along a minor fraction of their circumference) the two plates 2 and 3 have along their edges connecting bridges 4 turned to and confronting one another. These are so high, that between the cantilevered portions of the plates 2 and 3 a space of nearly 3 mm. remains. The two connecting bridges 4 are so provided and so long, that it is possible to compress the two plates 2 and 3 like tongs. Practically the connection may ,be effected by mounting a clamping key upon the connecting bridge 5 of one plate whereas the connecting bridge of the other plate has a corresponding groove, in which the key fits. The key may adhere in the groove although a clamping engagement is also possible. The plates 2 and 3 may be produced from a resili- According to FIG. 2 the insides of the plates 2 and 3 are covered with velvet-like coatings or layers 6. This velvet-like coats may be produced by fastening to the surface a suitable material or by depositing flakes to form the layer in situ.

In use, the gripper is placed about the edge of a phonographic record. With a tong-like compression of the gripper by the hand the disk 7 may be seized, whereby the fingers touch only the plates 2 and 3 at their surface area. The phonographic record never need be touched by the hand however.

It is moreover possible to give the plates another ground plan. They may-gbe of a square or rectangular plan, certainly the corners are to be rounded off in these cases.

I claim:

1. A gripper for phonograph records, comprising a pair of mutually coextensive resiliently deflectable spacedapart circular plates adapted to receive a sound-recording disk between them, and an arc-segmental connecting bridge extending over a limited part of the circumference of said plates and within the outlines thereof for interconnecting said plates while maintaining the space between them in the absence of inward deflection of said plates by the hand of a user.

2. The gripper defined in claim 1 wherein said connecting bridge comprises a pair of confronting bridge portions, one of said bridge portions being formed with an arcuate groove, the other of said bridge portions being formed with a tongue receivable in said groove and retained by the other of said portions, said plates each being provided along inner, disk-engaging faces with a velvetlike lining, the spacing between said plates in the absence of inward deflection by the hands of a user being about 3 mm.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 578,542 1946 Great Britain.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner. R. D. GUIOD, Assistant Examiner. 

